


Riptide

by darlingDesires



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Aquaphobia, Awkward Flirting, Bad Decisions, Beachcombing, Because it totally is, Christmas!!!!!, Cuddles, Did I mention this is awkward, Drinking Games, Drowning, Easter Eggs, Gwen is........... poster child of a foil character, I'm doing way too much planning, Jasper's a lifeguard, Jasper's a nerd, Jumping to Conclusions, LOTS of pda oops, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Mistakes, Not a lot tho, PDA, Peer Pressure, Poor David, Rating May Change, Smooch, Snow, TRIGGER WARNING: too cute tf, Tags May Update, actual kissing, cuteness, has anyone explored the radical surfer dude Jasper trope yet?, it's a 50/50, it's cute i promise, kind-of kissing, major foreshadowing, mixtapes, or - Freeform, plot development in dreams, ruh roh raggy, slightly violent content, this is all ur fault, whoops, whoops it’s cute again, y'all gonna hate me, y'all gonna love me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-03-16 05:18:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13629414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darlingDesires/pseuds/darlingDesires
Summary: The next thing that he realized was that someone’s soft lips were pressed up against his own, and that same someone’s hands were trying to pump the water from his lungs. He gasped, leaning to the side, retching the salt water that had accumulated in his lungs. His hearing returned shortly after. Everything was muffled and faint, and what little he could make out was barely audible over his coughing. “Sir? Sir, can you hear me?”





	1. Guardian Angel

**Author's Note:**

> This has the potential to become a really big project but I'm READY let's DO THIS

Water was his love, and the ocean his mistress. She enveloped him in a cold blanket that spun him around and brought him up to breathe, with a smile. She let him board thin slats of wood and experience the thrill and rush of her curves and curls, hesitating for nobody but him. When he’d had enough and hadn’t known it, she cradled him in her arms and cooed words of comfort while she slipped him back to the beach.

When he was younger, he lived in a house a short drive away from the beach. He’d go there for most of the days, to the secret parts of the beach nobody dared climb to and bring back seashells in his hair and sand in his shoes. He’d kept one of the shells, and strung it through a piece of string, adorning it as a necklace he continues to wear to this day. The foamed ocean kissed his feet with the tenderness he’d grown up with, caressing his face as he lay in the damp sand, eyes closed and heart open.

He looked the part, too. Skin pale but rich in textured freckles and colored by the sun, yet hardly a tan line to be seen. He’d never burn, but just a moment beneath the blooming sun graced him with a perfect bronze tan. Atop his head was a mess of sandy-blonde locks that lightened when he sat in the sun for too long. A piece of the ocean was always with him in his azure eyes, deep like the water, but light and friendly.

The boy didn’t know much of love. He was never the loving type. Childhood crushes were just about as foreign as they could be. The closest thing he had to that was his relationship to the ocean, always by her side, by the beach, feet in the sand with his loose jeans rolled up to his knees as he waded through the water.

A dream of his was to work as a lifeguard for the beaches, and that dream came true when he proved to the beach patrol that he excelled in the water. Swimming was an easy enough thing to master with time, anyway, as an art form left to the pulsing of your arms and legs sending you through the water, slicing through it like a blade or delicately drifting above it like a cloud.

It was a beautiful, graceful, easy summer day like any other. The sun was shining at a hot 98 degrees Fahrenheit, there wasn’t a cloud in sight, and the beach was packed by the time noon had come around. That warm and sunny day was quickly dimmed as he saw someone’s hands fly up, out of the deep parts of the water, struggling beneath the waves. He grabbed the orange buoy by his chair and hopped down from the tower, tweeting his whistle as he threw off his tee-shirt, breaking into a sprint into the turbulent waves.

 

The water closed in around him. He held his breath and struggled until his lungs surged with pain until he inevitably breathed in deep gulps of water, feeling himself grow heavier as he tried and tried and failed to reach the surface of the cruel waves.

_ This is it, the moment I die. It’s over. Not with a bang, but with a suffocated scream. _

David’s better judgment failed him that fateful July day. Gwen asked him to the beach to hang out and catch up, to try to help David with his fear of the ocean. He trusted her when she said that they weren’t going out that far, and he held her hand until he was ripped from her grasp and into the crashing waves, and that’s where he is now, having already breathed his last breaths. Thinking about the things he could have done differently. The things he could have said, the things he could have done that he simply  _ didn’t _ .

Water was far from being his love, and the ocean was even further from being even as much as his friend. Wistless and uncaring branches scathed his skin and tumbled him beneath the waves until he fought his way up to breathe. It tossed him to and fro, this way and that, smothering him like a cruel assassin. When he’d had enough, it beat him to the sandy ground, rendering him incapable of movement and gasping for breath. He was a strong swimmer, yes, but the foam decorating the waves like bubbling acid suffocated him beneath the ever-changing current.

His thoughts were interrupted by the next, vague realization that someone’s… strong, toned, but surprisingly soft arms were around him, pulling him out of the current. David could only wonder if this was his guardian angel come to escort him to the pearly gates.

The next thing that he realized was that someone’s soft lips were pressed up against his own, and that same someone’s hands were trying to pump the water from his lungs. He gasped, leaning to the side, retching the salt water that had accumulated in his lungs. His hearing returned shortly after. Everything was muffled and faint, and what little he could make out was barely audible over his coughing. “Sir? Sir, can you hear me?”

The phrase was repeated a few times before David peeled his bleary eyelids from each other, making eye contact with the lifeguard with beautiful blonde hair soaked in seawater. He sat on his knees next to David, eyes wide with worry, reflecting David’s barely conscious face. David opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out as he became aware of all of the people who had gathered around to watch in anticipation.

The lifeguard tried again. “Can you hear me?” He held up a hand and a few fingers, annunciating carefully without breaking eye contact. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Three,” David croaked, sitting up a bit too quickly, almost immediately met by a soft hand on his chest-- it was the lifeguard’s.

“Woah, woah! I’m glad you’re seeing straight, but you should probably take it easy until the water finishes draining from your lungs,” The lifeguard laughed gently, easing David back to the ground. He didn’t fight it. David let himself lie back down on the sand, closing his eyes, enjoying the tender breaths of air he drew-- breaths of life taste sweetest after a brush up against death.

The lifeguard stayed by his side as he continued to breathe evenly, slowly, breath hitching once in a while, the bitter taste of salt returning to his lips with every cough. When he opened his eyes again, the crowds of people were gone, but the lifeguard remained. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah,” David sat up gently, and the rugged blonde didn’t stop him this time. He brought a hand up to his face to get rid of the excess salt water, sighing. “Yeah, I’m doing alright… Thank you.”

“For what? Gosh, I’m just doing my job,” The lifeguard laughed with a charm and smile David hadn’t seen in a while, and he laughed along. David smiled, softly, crookedly, he couldn’t find it in himself to move his eyes away from the other’s charmingly calm gaze, and the caramel-tanned skin dripping with sea water. He hadn’t noticed how long he’d been staring until the lifeguard chuckled softly, blush apparent on his face as he slipped his shirt back on. “Well, anyway, I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Me too,” David said with an awkward laugh, forcing himself to break his stare, looking down at the slightly damp sand instead.

“David!” David turned to look, and running towards him was Gwen, distraught look apparent on her face. “Oh thank  _ god _ you’re okay!”

“He got caught in an undertow,” the lifeguard explained to her, as he brought himself to a standing position, wiping the sand off of his shorts, “a pretty nasty one, too. I’d be a little more careful about going that deep for now, especially since on  _ top  _ of that gross undertow, there’s a fairly large drop-off in the sand and as much as I’d love to rescue you, I think it’d be a little easier if we just kept it in the shallow water… hm?”

“Absolutely,” Gwen replied patronizingly with her  _ wow this guy is a nark _ smile, turning towards David again, fussing over him. He answered her questions halfheartedly as he smiled genuinely, watching after the lifeguard as he headed back up to the tower, dropping the buoy onto a hook. “David, are you even listening to me, or are you too busy picturing yourself kissing that lifeguard again?”

“It wasn’t a kiss, it was mouth-to-mouth resuscitation,” David replied flusteredly. “Lifeguards do that sometimes when they’re saving lives and you know this, Gwen.”

“Oh, so _that’s_ the part you defend. I bet you wish it _was_ a kiss.” David opened his mouth to argue, but didn’t say anything, Gwen just laughed. “Go get his number already, when’s the next time you’re gonna be at the beach with _this_ specimen of life-saving eye candy? Oh, sorry, am I making you jealous?”

“Oh, hush,” David punched her shoulder playfully, laughing. “I’m not gonna ask for his number, that’s just silly.”

“You’re right, it’s too darn silly. I guess he’ll just wait for some  _ other _ hopeless romantic to ask him out instead.”

David smiled, looking back at the lifeguard tower. “You think he’d say yes?”

“Duh, now go get ‘em, tiger.”


	2. Table for Two

Once he’d arrived at the tower, the lifeguard reached over for his beach towel draped over the chair’s back. He flopped it onto his head, rubbing vigorously to get most of the water from his hair. The blonde had continued drying his hair a little longer than necessary, reflecting back to the man he’d just rescued. On his way back to the tower he had overheard most of that girl’s comments about him, the way she was teasing the redhead, and it made Jasper’s face flush just thinking about it. Which didn’t make sense, since nothing anybody had said about him in the past had ever lead him to react like that.

When he pulled the towel down, he noticed the very same redhead he’d just rescued standing in the doorframe, smiling at him.

“Oh! Hello again,” the lifeguard said, shaking out the towel and lying it back down. “What’s up, you doing alright?”

“Yeah! Yeah, I just wanted to… tell you how thankful I am that you saved me!” David planted his hands on his hips, speaking the last part a little softer. “Wow, that was scary…“

“Well, it’s like I said: I’m just doing my job,” the blonde chuckled.

“I’m David, by the way,” David said chipperly.

“Nice to meet you, David! I’m Jasper.” Jasper smiled, leaning against the shelf-table that lined the walls inside the tower. He shifted his weight so he was propped up on his arm.

“I, uh…” David smiled gently, awkwardly, fidgeting with his hands while he mustered up the courage. “Jasper, do you want to go out sometime?”

Jasper’s hand slipped out from underneath him and he stumbled, narrowly managing to avoid smacking his chin against the shelf-table. He started laughing, bringing a hand up to his head. “Go out? Like--- like a date?”

David felt an embarrassed blush settle on his cheeks, and he looked down. Jasper’s eyes widened and he held out his hands in front of him, entire face cringing and red, trying his best to stop laughing.

“No no no no, I’m not laughing at you, this-- this looks  _ really _ bad,” he breathed, managing an awkward smile. “I laugh when I’m nervous. Uh… um. I’d-- I’d love to go out with you sometime, David!”

“Really?” David asked in disbelief, looking back up at the lifeguard, who had managed to mostly hold back his laughter.

“Really,” Jasper confirmed, smiling, internally cursing himself. “Just say when.”

 

David made a suggestion and the two agreed that when Jasper’s shift was over they would meet at World of Boba, a bubble tea shop along the boardwalk. It was small and comfortable, decorated to look like an indie destinations magazine’s ‘home-of-the-month’. World of Boba was someplace David had seen and wanted to try out, which is why he invited Jasper there.

David arrived early out of courtesy, ordering a drink for himself and sitting at a table for two, stirring his drink with the straw while he waited.

Jasper arrived at the agreed-upon time, and when he walked up to the counter, the girl behind it squealed and sprung over, hugging Jasper. He hugged back with a gentle laugh. She said something and Jasper surveyed the room, making eye contact with David, nodding toward him. Her jaw dropped. The room seemed much warmer right then. David averted his gaze back to his boba as the lifeguard and the cashier exchanged slight conversation. When he looked up again, Jasper was walking towards him, drink in hand.

“Do you… come here often?” David asked awkwardly as Jasper pulled back the chair, sitting across from him.

“Yeah. World of Boba’s been here for the longest time… for as long as I can remember, actually.” Jasper took a sip of his drink and smiled, chewing the boba in the corner of his mouth. “When I was eleven, I took surfing lessons and when my instructor headed home for the day I’d come here and spend the evening talking with the owner’s daughter and drinking boba. I love it here, it’s like a home away from home.”

“Is that the owner’s daughter?” David vaguely gestured towards the woman behind the counter. Jasper nodded in confirmation.

“Yep, that’s her. It’s nothing weird, though. I’ve known her for a long time, she’s just this rad girl that gives me life advice sometimes.”

There was a small lapse in conversation before David found something to say. “So, you’ve always loved the ocean?”

Jasper’s eyes began to sparkle as a broad smile spread across his face. “Yeah! Ever since I was a kid. It’s just so fascinating, like, it’s so wild and free, you just can’t  _ control _ that and there’s something about that unpredictability that I love. And gosh, the  _ smell _ of the beach, the salt in the waves and just the  _ feeling _ of the water on my skin, you know? Do you ever get that-- that feeling?”

“Not really,” David chuckled awkwardly. “I’m more of a forest guy, the ocean’s a little too… intimidating for me.”

“Intimidating?” Jasper cocked his head to the side, eyes wide. He couldn’t understand how someone could see the ocean as intimidating.

“Yeah. I dunno, you have one bad experience, you’ve had ‘em all,” David’s expression seemed to soften a little. “But it’s not all bad! I mean, it brought us together!”

Jasper giggled, breaking eye contact and looking away shyly for just a moment. “That’s true. Not all bad indeed.” There was another gentle pause in the conversation, filled only by Jasper’s soft sigh and inquisitive question. “You mentioned you liked the forest?”

It was David’s turn to have an over-enthusiastic monologue. “Yes! I do. The forest is something I’m  _ very _ passionate about, and oh I just love the big, towering trees and the simple sounds of nature! I think it’s one of the best things this world has to offer. I actually-- I live up in Sleepy Peak, and work at a summer camp up there.”

Jasper smiled interestedly. “Ooh, what kind of summer camp?”

“Well, I can’t really describe it, we focus on lots of different things.”

“Like what?”

“Archery, hiking… it’s a long list, I wrote a song about it.” 

Jasper laughed softly, folding his hands and resting his forearms against the table. He leaned in so he was slightly closer “So, if you live in Sleepy Peak, what brings you all the way out to Anise Bay?”

“My dear friend and co-counselor Gwen!” David replied enthusiastically. “She’s a gem. Our camp’s program ended for the summer and she invited me to stay with her for a few days while she…”

“While she what? You sort of trailed off there.” Jasper quirked an eyebrow.

“While she helped me through my fear of the ocean.” David finished, nodding his head firmly, smiling. “It’s silly, but school at Sleepy Peak U starts up again in a week and a half for me so I have a bit of free time, and Gwen wanted to try to show me how much fun the beach can be.”

“Oh, can it  _ ever _ !” Jasper laughed softly. “There’s so much to do at the beach. It’s a shame you got caught up in that current… I’m no therapist, but I’m guessing that’s probably not the best way to tackle a phobia.”

“Probably not.” David agreed with a chuckle.

“Well, if  _ I _ had a fear of the ocean, I’d probably want a lifeguard around so that I know I’d be safe,” Jasper winked, resting his left elbow against the table and propping his head up in his hand. Was he… flirting?

“Great idea! Know where I can find one?” David asked, mostly out of a joking sense of curiosity-- did he really mean it?-- and they both laughed.

Jasper pointed to himself with a charmingly lopsided smile. “Me, you goof!”

“ _ You? _ A lifeguard? I never would have guessed!” Jasper rolled his eyes dramatically and laughed again, and David chuckled. He saw a lot of himself reflected in the blonde. 

“Really though, if it’d make you feel better… well, I know you just met me but I’d be willing to help you out with your fear.” Jasper tried to be cool about it, but his passion for the ocean shone through and David could see the excitement in his eyes.

“Aw, Jasper, I appreciate the offer, but I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“It’s no trouble at all! Really!”

“Are you sure? All for some sap you just met a few hours ago?”

“Of course I would,  _ especially _ for some sap I just met a few hours ago! Gosh, I just love the beach so much, and it would make me the happiest knowing I could help you learn to enjoy the ocean like I do.”

David was smiling from ear-to-ear, he couldn’t help himself around Jasper. “You’re much too kind. Thank you.”

Jasper laughed gently, shrugging up his shoulders, looking away. “Well, it’s not a problem! Helping people is what I do, I mean, I’m a lifeguard for crying out loud!”

As they continued to exchange minor ‘first-date’ conversation, David’s eyes began taking in the finer details of the lifeguard. He had faint traces of freckles on his arms, and when he spoke, his eyes shone like none other. His gaze eventually landed on the seashell strung around Jasper’s neck proudly, and he wondered why he hadn’t seen it earlier.

Jasper noticed David’s gaze and he reached up, gently clutching the shell out of habit, answering the question before it was even asked. “It’s my lucky shell! I’ve had it ever since I was a kid, and it’s always been good to me.”

“Oh,” David replied with a smile, “it’s pretty. What kind of shell is it?”

“I was so hoping you’d ask that!” Jasper opened his hand to show off the narrow shell sporting brown polka dots. “Scaphella junonia, better known as spotted junonia. They’re super hard to find-- well, they  _ were,  _ until shrimp fishermen started pulling them up by the dozens. It’s still rare to find them washed up on the beach, though, and I consider myself the luckiest to have found one while I was combing.”

“Sure sounds lucky to me,” David commented, chuckling softly.

When the hour came and went (all too quickly if you asked David), it was time for Jasper to leave again. He’d agreed to take a friend’s shift for another few hours, and had to get to his post.

However, he didn’t leave without giving the charming redhead his phone number on the back of a receipt, three little hearts scrawled around the digits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear this took a bit longer to write than it should've, I'm sorry !!
> 
> V dialogue-centric chapter, I promise the next one won't be so speech-oriented
> 
> Thoughts? Questions? Observations? Leave 'em below, I never get tired of reading your comments!


	3. In My Heart, I Belong

David arrived at Gwen’s flat with a smile he couldn’t seem to get rid of, and the moment he entered the room, she bombarded him with too many questions for comfort. He explained everything in great detail-- his observations, the enthusiastically passionate parts of their conversation-- and ended with handing her the receipt proudly.

“...you bought a DVD copy of  _ Thirteen Going On Thirty _ and a six pack of cherry Coke?” Gwen looked up at him, raising her eyebrows. “Is this to say you didn’t get his digits?”

David pointed to it, moving his finger in an arc. “No, no-- turn it over.”

She did as she was told. “Are you serious?” Her jaw dropped and she looked up at David, laughing softly. “I can’t believe it. Kudos to you-- I mean, he even drew these little hearts. Maybe I should start calling you ‘David the Irresistible’. Or maybe even ‘David the Romance Expert’. Yeah, I like the sound of that.”

“Please don’t,” David laughed, “I’m not a romance expert by any means.”

Gwen handed the receipt back to its owner, hopping over the couch and patting the spot next to her. “So, Romeo, what’s his name?”

“His name’s Jasper, and he’s a very kind person,” David said with a firm nod, walking around the side of the couch and sitting next to Gwen.

“Kind my ass, do you think he’s hot?” There was a pause. “Are you gonna text him?”

“Of course I’m going to text him! He’s… sweet.”

“Sweet?”

“Sweet.” David repeated, smiling a lovestruck smile towards his friend. “He offered to help me through my fear.”

“Wow, it’s only the first date, and you’re  _ already _ talking about your deepest, darkest fear. I’m almost impressed, I mean, you’re getting to the real shit  _ fast.”  _ Gwen seemed to snicker at her own comment before she’d even said it, “What, did you tell him you were a bottom while you were at it?”

“No, I didn’t! I- I resent that!” The room suddenly felt much warmer to David, Gwen laughed again. “Where did you even-- how--”

“That New Years’ party two years back. You remember it, right? When you got wasted and hooked up with that rando that hung out by the punch the whole time?” Gwen rolled her eyes and smirked towards David, crossing her arms victoriously. “When I found you guys, it was pretty clear who was on top of who.”

David shrugged his shoulders up in embarrassment, trying to hide even a little bit of his blush. “That’s why I don’t drink.” And, a little softer, “I’d kind of hoped you didn’t remember that.”

Gwen winked and pushed David’s shoulder gently, dissatisfied with the way her arms had been crossed. “You know I wouldn’t forget blackmail material so easily.” She leaned over the back of the couch to stretch her back, contracting slightly and looking over to the still-flustered redhead fidgeting with his hands. “Now stop your blushing and hit up that lifeguard guy before you forget and lose his number.”

When David texted the number on the receipt, he was immediately met with a response of three sparkle emojis and a happy face. It made him smile softly.

  
  


Hey david, lets go beachcombing saturday!  
Theres gonna be a new moon and tides will be especially low at sundown, so we can find all of the cool shells you cant normally find

Sounds fun!

I was thinking that we could like start with the beach, and work our way to the ocean, you know?  
Since, like, i dunno.. baby steps or something !  
(and i meant what i said about helping you)

That makes sense.  
(You’re too kind)

You in?

Sure! =)

  
  


This time, Jasper was the first one there. It was about half an hour before sunset, where the ocean was bright and the sky was already painted with vivid pastels. He was dressed in a pair of purple bathing trunks patterned with triangles colored in a slightly lighter lavender, a plain white tee on top, and some lightweight sandals. David showed up in a similar, yet very different, outfit-- a pair of sport shorts, flip-flops, and a yellow shirt adorning a smiling face and the words ‘happy camper’.

“Hey, David!” Jasper called, waving a hand so that-- just in case he forgot-- he’d know who his date was.

“Hey! It’s nice to see you again,” David said, waving back, immediately chastising himself for sounding so formal. It’s the second date-- this counts as a second date, right?-- and he’s speaking to Jasper like they’re distant cousins who only see each other on holidays. It was probably just that nervously nauseous feeling building in his chest, stomach, and throat. David knew that he needed to breathe and relax, but it was hard to when he knew he was on a date with someone so far out of his league, someone so handsome and confident… someone like Jasper.

David had barely been there for long enough to have more conversation than that before the blonde exclaimed enthusiastically, “What are we waiting for? Let’s go already, the tide won’t be low forever!” Jasper laced his fingers in David’s and pulled him along with a smile and gentle laugh. He smiled like an idiot, heart practically beating out of his chest as he let Jasper drag him towards the water lapping up onto the shores.

They kicked off their shoes where they’d stay dry and ran through the damp sand where their steps left shallow footprints-- near the ocean, but not close enough to cause the redhead too much anxiety. David’s jaw dropped when he saw the shells and rocks that coated the ground so closely to the water, unearthed and waiting for discovery. He took a few steps and picked up a spiral shell that almost mirrored a snail’s home, admiring it with a soft fondness he never thought he’d feel towards a creation of the sea. Jasper taught him only the best methods to beachcomb, and he had to admit-- the ocean didn’t seem so foreboding when it retreated that far out. It helped that he was with Jasper.

As David looked through the mounds of natural treasures half-buried in the sand, his hands found their way to a translucent, smooth, pale blue piece of… something, about the size of a dollar coin and slightly curved. Jasper looked up, saw the object in David’s grip and ran over, skillfully dodging the rocks and pointed shells along the way. “Wow! Look at  _ that. _ You  _ never _ find sea glass that big. That  _ color, _ too, so vivid...”

“Sea glass?” David asked, holding it up to the fast-fading sunlight. He couldn’t see much through the slightly opaque and beautiful find, besides the tinted colors of the sky, but the refracted light was beautiful nonetheless.

“Glass that got swept up in the ocean, tumbled, and washed back up,” Jasper explained with a gentle smile, nuzzling up to the redhead just slightly, peeking his head over his shoulder. “Usually, they’re worn away until they’re really small pieces, but you got lucky finding this one. Good eye!”

“It’s really pretty,” David breathed, smiling brightly.

He turned his gaze back to Jasper, who stayed close to him but turned just slightly so they were facing each other. The two made eye contact, dusk light bathing them in a dim purple, last rays of sun reflecting off of the waves. Moment after moment passively slipped by, just out of reach.

David’s smile turned shy. Jasper laughed gently. He tilted his head down, then looked up, biting the inside of his lip loosely as the hesitant air between the two softened. “Yeah… it is.”

 

“And you  _ didn’t _ kiss him? What, are you  _ straight  _ now?” Gwen huffed, throwing the couch pillow at David, who deflected it with an awkward laugh.

“I dunno, don’t you think that would be moving a little bit  _ too _ fast?” David asked, picking the pillow up from the floor and placing it on his lap. “I mean, I just met the guy earlier this week!”

“If romantic movies have taught me anything, it’s that when the opportunity arises, you  _ fucking. Kiss. Him. _ Period. End of conversation.”

“Well! No! Not necessarily,” David interjected, sitting up taller, crossing his legs like a child. “Romantic movies aren’t reality, Gwen, and unfortunately, that’s not how things work.”

“It is if you make it.” She pointed at David, preparing to make a case. “You like Disney, right?”

“To a fault.”

“You know that scene in  _ The Little Mermaid  _ where the guy and the mermaid-turned-human girl are in the boat?”

“Prince Eric and Ariel, but yes, go ahead.”

“It’s like nighttime, there’s fireflies, and I think fish were singing? It’s all romantic and shit, and the sexual tension is through the fucking roof, except it’s not described like that ‘cause it’s a kids’ movie.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“But then, out of nowhere, the eels throw them out of the boat right before they kiss.”

“I’ve seen the movie, Gwen, many times. You don’t-- it’s not necessary to keep explaining, I know what scene you’re referencing.”

“It’s you and Jasper.” She stuck out her fists with the index fingers extended, holding them next to each other, motioning with it as if it was two people. “You’re Ariel, because you’re the wuss redhead, and he’s Prince Eric ‘cause he’s the life-saving hunk. But uh oh, what’s that in the lake?” She motions as if the boat they’re on is rocking, then flips it over. “Surprise, it’s the eel come to stop you from kissing your prince, and the eel is you!”

“I thought I was Ariel.”

“You’re Ariel  _ and _ the eel.”

“I can’t topple the boat if I’m inside it, that hardly seems realistic.”

“God damn it, it’s a  _ metaphor,” _ Gwen laughed, hitting David with a pillow again. “What I’m trying to say is that you’re literally sabotaging your own relationship with him because you’re  _ scared  _ of romance.”

“I’m not  _ scared  _ of romance, Gwen,” David replied, crossing his arms defiantly, narrowing his brows. “I’m  _ respectful _ of Jasper as a person, and I’m aware of appropriate boundaries. May I remind you that this was the second date, and-- well, gosh darn it, it’s just common courtesy not to be so forward about that!”

Gwen groaned in exasperation, facing David head-on. “How dense can you get? Do I need to spell it out for you? He  _ wanted _ you to kiss him, David!”

David felt his face heat up again. “Well-- you can’t really say that for certain! That’s just assuming, and I hardly think that’s indicative of what he was  _ actually _ wanting.”

Gwen decided to approach it more passively-- after all, she did major in psychology, maybe David would be more receptive to coming to his own conclusion. “Sorry, you’re right, let’s reexamine that moment-- what did he do when the conversation died down?”

“Well, he sort of got quiet, and kept looking at the ground and at me.”

“What was his face doing?”

“His face was really red, and his nose kinda scrunched up, I think he was biting his lip--”

“Oh, you didn’t even  _ tell _ me about that part!” Gwen couldn’t help but smack her forehead with her open palm. “God damn it, he  _ totally _ wanted you to kiss him!”

“We’ve discussed this, Gwen, I’m not going to do that on the second date!”

“David, get with the program! It’s 2018, chivalry is dead and respect doesn’t exist! Next time the opportunity comes up, grab life by the balls and _kiss_ _the boy_ for fuck’s sake.” David started to protest, but Gwen held up a finger. “Uh-uh! No buts. Don’t be your own cockblock.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyes emoji


	4. Tidepools and Treacherous Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sha la la la la la  
> My oh my  
> Looks like the boy's too shy  
> Ain't gonna kiss the boy (oh woah)  
> Sha la la la la la  
> Ain't that sad  
> It's such a shame, too bad  
> You're gonna miss the boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took too long, hope y'all enjoy, see you again in two months ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

Hey hey! You busy?  
I’ll take that as yes, text me when youre not!

Oh!! Sorry Jasper, I’m not busy, I just left my phone somewhere and then forgot where it was

Dont sweat it! I do that all the time haha

So what’s up?

Are you free tonight? Around 4?

Sure am! =)

Rad  
I’ll pick you up at 4 from Gwen’s  
Her place is near the beach, right? I mean I have the address but im just making sure

Yep!

Cool cool

What are we gonna do?

Its a surprise  
Oh but bring ur swimsuit, and walking shoes

Anything else?

If i told you i’d have to kill you  
The hound of the baskervilles, 1939  
Sorry, couldnt resist  
But it really is a surprise, so dont worry too hard abt outfit stuff, k? You cant dress wrong  
Unless you wear snow pants, or heels? Please dont wear heels

Dang, guess I’ll have to hang up my stilettos

LMAO

  
  


David did as he was told, sporting his swim trunks and a tee with the logo of an obscure album cover he picked up from a vintage store. He didn’t know the artist, but liked the neon purple-pink hues and the sketchy portrait on the front of the shirt, so he’d picked it up as a steal for only $6.

“Oh, Trevor Something!” Jasper smiled brightly, looking David’s shirt over. “You didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who listens to retrowave-slash-80s-synth stuff.”

“Actually, I…” David paused, looking at Jasper, laughing softly. “...do. Not a lot, mostly just Trevor.. Something.” Jasper’s shirt caught his eye, a dandelion yellow tee from a 1984 family reunion, and he couldn’t help but look for Jasper’s name.

“Oh, this isn’t my family,” Jasper gestured to his shirt, noticing David’s searching gaze. “Besides, 1984? I wasn’t even born yet!”

“It’s not your family?” David echoed, looking back up to meet Jasper’s ocean eyes.

“Nope, I don’t know anyone on this shirt. I got it from a thrift store for four dollars.” David chuckled. “It’s sort of a thing, I love picking up random family reunion and company retreat shirts from vintage and thrift stores. It’s funny to me, and plus, my brother and I have sort of an ongoing joke that we send each other photos through facebook of the random shirts we find and compare them. We started doing this in middle school-- well, of course not through facebook since it wasn’t super popular back then, and also we lived in the same house, but you get the point-- and we just haven’t stopped the tradition since. You should see the collection I have at home. Twelve or thirteen years of bargain hunting and thrift stores leaves one with a pretty hefty collection,” Jasper rambled, laughing quietly, nervously. He averted his gaze to the floor, combing his bangs back with his hand as a shyness ran through him.

“I bet it’s fantastic,” David assured, nodding, tilting his head slightly to meet Jasper’s eyes. He smiled back, and David continued, “So, I’m curious… What do you have planned? I mean, I know it’s a secret and all that, but I can’t help asking!”

“Maybe I’ll tell you if you ask nicely,” Jasper smiled slyly, facing David again. David thought he saw the lifeguard wink.

“Pretty please?”

“Well, I can’t argue with that. A little less than a mile up the shore are some really cute tidepools I thought we could walk to. I figured you should have some appreciation for the life in the ocean in order to… better understand it? I don’t know,” Jasper laughed, “I was going somewhere with this, I promise.”

“That’s alright, I’m following,” David reassured.

“Well, anyway-- we’ll hang out at the tidepools, bury our feet in the sand, then depending on how you’re vibin’ we could chill in the shallow parts of the water. I dipped my feet in earlier, and temperature-wise, it feels really nice.” The uneasiness in David’s stomach prohibited him from responding verbally, so he nodded instead. It wasn’t so much about the tidepools, but more about the latter part of the plan. Jasper picked up on this discomfort and laced his fingers with David’s, smiling at him gently. “Of course, we don’t have to if you don’t think you’re ready. No sweat, you know you and I trust that. I won’t make you do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

“You’re too sweet, Jasper, you know that?” David smiled, and so did Jasper, enjoying the feeling of the compliment.

A minute or so into the walk, Jasper’s curiosity got the best of him, and he couldn’t help but ask. “So… why is it you’re afraid of the ocean?”

David’s gaze dropped to his feet, watching the steady motion of his footsteps in an attempt to actively avoid eye contact. “Just a couple of bad experiences as a kid, I guess.”

“Well, you already told me  _ that _ part,” Jasper looked up, watching the clouds, framed by power lines and satellite dishes. “So, why is it really?”

“I’m… not really sure,” David admitted, free hand fidgeting with the hem of his shirt anxiously.

“Maybe it’s an internal thing?” David shrugged in response, and Jasper continued his search for an answer. “You know how to swim, right?”

“Actually, believe it or not, in a pool or a lake I’m a fairly strong swimmer. Kinda have to be, since y’know, my summer job as a camp counselor and all that fun stuff. If a kid goes under, I’ve got to be readily prepared!” David chuckled gently. “I don’t know why, but whenever I’m in the ocean, I just… forget? I don’t know, it’s silly…”

“I don’t think it’s silly,” Jasper glanced over at David, who continued to look down. “I mean, I like to think I make good conversation with people and that I can get my point across without  _ too _ much difficulty, but put me on a stage and all of that just goes out the window. It’s like I don’t even know English anymore!”

David looked back up, making eye contact with Jasper again. “You’re afraid of public speaking?”

“It’s the worst!” Jasper defended with a hearty laugh. “Something about the crowd. I don’t know-- I was good at it when I was a kid, but there just came a point somewhere in my teenage years where I developed a fear of talking in front of lots of people. The earliest I can remember is 10th grade when I’d signed up for a  _ Poetry Out Loud _ recitation for extra credit and all but forgot the poem once I’d gotten on stage.”

“That’s rough,” David sympathized, giving Jasper’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry.”

Jasper laughed, tucking the longer parts of his bangs behind his ear. “Yeah, but what can you do?”

“Have you ever tried kicking the fear?”

“Gosh, I wouldn’t even know where to start,” Jasper laughed breathlessly, smiling. “Besides, I don’t have a job that requires me to public speak and don’t do anything on the side that I’d need that skill for, either. I don’t know, I guess it’s just not a huge priority.”

David could tell that he was nervous. If all of the laughter wasn’t a tip-off, it was his rambling and quick speech. “Priority or not, it’s always good to try to confront your fears. Maybe just start by practicing in front of smaller groups of people, then more and more as you become more comfortable? Baby steps.”

“That’s fair,” Jasper agreed with a nod. A soft silence settled down before he mumbled again, quietly, “That’s fair…”

The rest of the walk was spent in comfortable silence, only interrupted by gentle and mindless conversation about normal things. The warm air outside contrasted the gentle, cool, oceanic winds that swept through the beachside town smelling of sea salt, smiles, and the collective dream of a never-ending summer.

And the tidepools were beautiful. Jasper was right-- seeing all of the creatures in the shallow, rocky dips somehow lead him to a firm admiration for them. Where other animals wouldn’t survive, they persevered through the turbulent nature of the waves that came through, the children who didn’t know any better reaching out to grab them, and the, quite frankly, confusing pattern of tides. Not only did they survive, they _thrived,_ even in an environment that none other could. “Jasper? I… think I want you to take me into the water a ways.”

He looked up in mute surprise. “Really?” David nodded. Jasper smiled. “I think I can make that happen. If you’re sure you’re okay with it.”

“Well, I’m  _ not _ sure, but I’ll do it anyway,” David laughed softly.

Jasper held David’s hand in his own, smile unwavering. “Don’t hesitate to tell me if it’s too much, I know how anxiety can be.”

Once they’d stepped into the water, David immediately recalled his brush up with death a few days prior. The anxiety was manageable, as it normally was, if a bit uncomfortable. But until the stressor went away, David would likely continue to feel like that until he couldn’t hide it anymore. His chest would tighten, his stomach would knot, and his pulse would be well over 100 beats-per-minute for at least the next half an hour.

“You alright?” Jasper asked. David forced himself to try to calm down. That’s when the lifeguard noticed David’s unusually high heart rate through how tightly David was clasping his hand, and when he looked over, David’s breathing was quick and shallow to match.

“Hey, hey,” Jasper held the panicking David close to his chest, trying to help the situation to the best of his ability. He had a knack for staying calm, slow, and steady while he reassured people, which came in handy more often than not. “It’s okay. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe. I renewed my certification recently, up-to-date on all the stuff to guard your life. Just hold me tight if you need to, you’ll be okay.”

David nodded, closing his eyes, leaning into Jasper and clutching him tightly. His face felt hot, presumably with a deep blush of embarrassment. Or it could just be sunburn.  _ This is silly. I’m not even deep in the ocean and I’m somehow expecting it to hurt me. Silly. _ Yet somehow, the fear stayed there all the same, and the anxiety of his own thoughts was enough reason to be afraid. It certainly didn’t help that there was an extremely attractive man attempting to comfort him.

“If you want to head back, just say the word, alright? No need to push yourself too far,” Jasper strained worriedly, arms comfortingly around David.  _ He has a tight grip. _

A few tense moments passed, and David began to breathe again, letting go of Jasper ever so slightly to gaze at him. He felt safe in the other’s arms.

In a moment of impulse, Jasper leaned in with half-lidded eyes and lips parted just so before he hesitated awkwardly, face suspended only centimeters from the redhead’s. He pulled David to his chest again with a flushed face. It took him a moment to realize and process what had happened, pushing away slightly to see Jasper’s flustered, embarrassed expression. Now there was more than one reason his heart beat so rapidly.  “Oh jeez, I’m so sorry. That was super selfish of me to even try. You’re having anxiety, it’s not even fair that I...”

_ Next time the opportunity comes up, grab life by the balls and  _ kiss the boy _ for fuck’s sake. _

All of the stress and anxiety and fear of being in that place and at that time melted away when David leaned up and kissed the boy. Nothing else existed in that moment. Jasper froze in place, mind whirring as David pulled back slightly. He somehow knew it was the right decision.

“...tried to kiss you,  _ wow _ that was unexpected,” Jasper laughed softly, blush becoming more and more prominent against his tanned skin. “Not unwelcome  _ at all, _ just… unexpected!  _ Wow. _ Uh. Just  _ wow.” _

David laughed a little, grip on Jasper slightly slipping before he remembered where he was and tightened his clutch. He felt a little better, though, and could no longer say all of his memories of the ocean were bad.


	5. Something Good

Kisses were more liberal from then on, once the barrier of physical affection had been crossed. A little peck on the cheek, eskimo’d noses, ghostly kisses on the jaw, passionate exchanges of saliva, locked lips pinned against the wall and everything in between. Soft sighs and warm breaths, gentle nudges and full embraces. David would always come home wonderstruck and giggling with mad love, and Gwen was there to hear every bit of it.

“You should be on your knees  _ worshipping _ me,” She joked, “Heads up!” tossing David a can of soda. He caught it swiftly and waited a moment for the carbonation to settle down before the  _ chh-click! _ of the can opening.

“I should?” David asked.

“Well, duh. One, you wouldn’t have even  _ met _ him if I hadn’t taken you to the beach; two, you wouldn’t be seeing him if I hadn’t encouraged you to get his number; three, you wouldn’t be coming back from his place grinning like an idiot if I didn’t tell you to kiss him!” Gwen ticked off each reason on her finger regardless if David could see it or not before she grabbed her own soda and closed the door to the fridge, leaning back slightly to raise an eyebrow at the redhead. “I’m just saying, I think I deserve more rep for being a great matchmaker.”

“That’s true,” David took a sip from the can, careful not to spill as Gwen vaulted over the back of the couch with her beverage of choice. “You  _ are _ pretty good at this.”

A momentary silence settled while David continued to sip on his soda. Without warning, Gwen draped her arm over the back of the couch, turning her head to the side with a mischievous, teasing grin. ”Did you bang yet?”

David spit out his drink. “Gwen!” He chastised. She laughed loudly. “That is hardly appropriate, and quite frankly, none of your business!”

“You know I say shit like that to get a rise out of you, right?” David’s embarrassed face and silent drinking of soda said otherwise.

After a (mostly) comfortable silence in which Gwen nonverbally apologized, she asked the question that was on both of their minds. The one David had hoped not to confront. “So… Sleepy Peak U starts up again in a few days,” Gwen noted, met with no response. As expected. She let a short pause take up the room before speaking again, a little quieter, turning to face David once more. “...Are you gonna keep talking to him once you’re back in Sleepy Peak?”

“Absolutely,” David replied without hesitation. “Jasper is a wonderful man, and I’d be a  _ fool _ not to… stay in touch with him…”

“David, you’re an extremely affectionate person,” she waivered slightly again, resting her hand on David’s arm. “How do you think you’re gonna handle the distance? Knowing you, it’s not going to be easy.”

David didn’t reply, instead drifting his gaze to the window and out at the birds of paradise growing in the neighbor’s yard, barely visible through the tall, white picket fence and hardly noticeable under the faded moonlight.

“You can’t keep ignoring this, David, you’re gonna need to deal with this sooner or la--”

“I know,” David interrupted quietly, sighing audibly and resting his forehead in his palm. “To be honest, Gwen? I… don’t know what I’m gonna do.”

“Well, you love him, right?”

“Without a doubt.”

“Do you think he’s the one?” When met with more silence, Gwen’s face softened, “oh… David…” and she pulled him into a hug. Without thinking twice, he hugged back, and let his tears fall onto her shirt.

 

David stretched his arms above his head, arching his back as he walked his way to the bathroom. His limbs felt heavy and sluggish, and his polka-dot pajama pants seemed to drag against the floor a little more than usual.

He flicked the lightswitch upwards and the light stayed off for a moment, waking up and straining to flicker a dim yellow lumination over the worn sink.

Somebody stared at him.

He blinked. The person blinked. David held out a hand and so did the person in his bathroom, but instead of flesh, he touched glass. He breathed out a sigh of relief, taking in the finer details of his reflection and running his hands beneath the cool water.  _ It must’ve just been my half-asleep mind misinterpreting things. _ He slid both of his palms down his cheeks, chilled water beginning to wake him up more. He grabbed a hand towel and dried his face, and when he looked up, his reflection changed. It became someone he hadn’t seen in a long time. He stared into those charming, haunting eyes and couldn’t help but wonder why.

His reflection of someone else reached through the mirror, gentle hands finally freed from the glass’s captivity, caressing David’s neck with soft fingers. For a moment, he felt safe, closing his eyes until the hands slowed most of his blood flow. Two filed thumbnails began to press into his throat, restricting his breathing and drawing blood until he pulled in less and less shaky breath. Lips ghosted his own, and he almost smiled before his breathing became dizzying.

“Your time is running out, David,” Said the soft, fading voice dancing above his lips. “Is he worth it?”

When he opened his eyes, he realized he was in his bed. Awake. He touched a hand to his throat, drawing in a gasping breath he hadn’t realized he was repressing, and before his dream had the chance to fade from his memory, he picked up his phone.   
  


 

Hey

? david its like 4am, why are you awake?

Oh jeez, is it actually 4am?

4:06 yea

Urgh did I wake you up? I’m sorry  
I should’ve checked the time

No no its ok, i have to be up in an hour anyway  
This just gives me more time to get ready  
Also I know for sure i wont be late now lol  
Whats up?

School starts again on Monday.

Next monday?

Yeah

As in, three days from now?

Yeah

Youll be going back to sleepy peak

:/

Oh  
Can we talk abt this… not through text?  
Haha idk, im better talking with my actual voice, but if you want to text it im ok with that too  
Whatever you prefer

We can call

Ok  
Give me a sec, ill call you   
  


 

David slipped on a sweatshirt and blindly moved through the darkness of the house, exiting it and seating himself on the steps of the front porch. He set his phone face-up on the ground and sat watching it for what seemed like hours before his ringtone chimed. “Good morning, Jasper,” he greeted, a little brighter than he had intended. He stood and leaned against the wall of the house.

Jasper sounded tired. “ _ Good morning. _ ”

“Are you sure you’re okay with talking about this right now? You sound tired, and--”

“ _ It’s okay, I promise. I was supposed to wake up at 5 to get ready for an earlier shift anyway, at least I’ll be more attentive now that I’ve had more time to wake up. _ ”

“...That’s good,” David nodded, even though he knew Jasper couldn’t see him. He paced to the other side of the deck, resting his free hand on the railing. “I ju--”

“ _ So y-- _ ”

“Oh, sorry, I--”

“ _ No, no, it’s okay. You go first. _ ”

“You can go.”

“ _ You sure? _ ”

“Yep. Speak away.”

“ _ So, you’re headed back to Sleepy Peak for the year? _ ”

“For the school year, yeah. In a few days.”

“ _ Mmm. _ ” There was a soft pause on the other end of the line, David held his breath in hopes of catching the slightest bit of sound from the other end, and instead all he heard was Jasper’s steady breathing and sleepy yawn, followed by a few quiet clicks of a keyboard. “ _ And that’s like, uh… three hours away, right? _ ”

“When there’s lots of traffic, yeah. But whenever I travel up and down, it’s a lot closer to a two hours’ drive instead. Which isn’t…  _ that _ bad, considering it’s a decent way up the mountain.”

“ _ That’s not too bad, then, no. _ ”

David took a deep breath, and as he began to speak, he heard the other end go silent. “ I just wanted to preface by saying that I’m not that good with long distance.. relationships, uh… I don’t...” David stopped himself from saying anything more, trailing off, intimidated by Jasper’s continued silence.

After what could have only been several agonizingly long minutes, Jasper exhaled with a shaky breath. The voice that came through the speaker of David’s phone was quiet and resigned. “ _...David, are you… breaking up with me? _ ”

“No!” David replied without hesitation. “Of course not, I care about you.”

“ _ People care for others as friends sometimes, that doesn’t necessarily mean.. _ ” Jasper’s tone began to sound discouraged. “ _ I mean… please just tell me if that’s what this is about. I can take it, you don’t have to… _ ”

“I’m not breaking up with you. I don’t… I don’t want to break up, and I don’t want this to end just because I’m heading back home for a few months. For a school year. You mean a lot to me, and Jasper, I...”

“ _...You what? I think you got cut off. _ ” The words lodged themselves in David’s throat and refused to come out, prolonging the silence. Slight shuffling could be heard on Jasper’s end. “ _ …Hello? Are you still there? _ ”

“I love you,” David breathed, gripping the railing. The silence that settled between the two worried him, so he did the best thing he knew: he talked. “I haven’t known you for that long, but gosh darn it!-- you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I know, I know, you’re going to say that it’s too early to say ‘I love you’ and mean it but Jasper, you’re something good. When I’m around you, I feel like I’ve never felt in any of my relationships, or even ever before in my  _ life _ . It’s something I can’t really explain, but I think it’s love, and it feels right to say that I love you, Jasper.”

Nothing else could be heard, so David strained his ears to listen carefully, and heard shaky breath, staggering exhales, and quiet sniffs. “Jasper? Are-- are you crying? Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“ _ God damn it, I can’t believe you wanted to tell me this over text! _ ” Jasper leaned away from his phone to laugh, followed by a hefty sob before he leaned back in to speak. “ _ I love you too, David, I love you too and I can’t imagine myself with anyone else. Anna-Lee tells me I’m falling too much and thinking too little but I love you too and I don’t want-- I just-- I’m being way too emotional over this, it’s just-- you’ll just be a drive away, and… we’re not breaking up, I don’t know why I’m… crying so much... _ ”

“We’ll make this work, okay?” David felt tears begin to well up in his eyes, reaching up the sleeve of his sweater to wipe away a stray tear.

“ _...Okay. _ ” Jasper paused, before exhaling with an audible smile, saddened tone alluded. “ _ Damn it, David… _ ” He laughed again, quieter.  “ _ Damn it… _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a playlist for Riptide!:  
> https://open.spotify.com/user/honestlygarbage/playlist/5wjdu0ZPaG16xqZKliFjcN?si=T2h06PMmQqmOqa4p4eacTQ
> 
> I've been constantly working on it and revising it since chapter one because I love having music on while I work and these songs f u e l the story,,, I'll probably continue to revise and edit it as the story progresses and as I find new songs, stay tuned to it if you'd like! :>


	6. Leave A Message

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: F-slur used in the 3rd paragraph

David exhaled through his nose, gasping as Jasper kissed him. He giggled gently before moving in again, sighing, “I love you..”

“I love you too,” Jasper whispered, pressing their lips together lovingly. Both kept their eyes closed as their tongues danced, hands finding their way to each others’ neck. Jasper pulled away with a sigh, planting several kisses all over David’s cheeks, forehead, and lips, forgotten movie playing carelessly in the background and forgotten moviegoers becoming increasingly less patient with the lovers in row H.

“Hey, faggots, some of us are trying to watch the movie,” grumbled a man two rows behind them.

“Get a room,” tacked on a woman a few seats away, prompting Jasper to pull away with a little laugh.

“Sorry,” he apologized softly, insult flying straight over his head. David giggled as Jasper turned back, pressing their foreheads together with smiles, lips meeting once more as quietly as possible. Their makeout session continued despite the cries of protest from the annoyed audience members, but they at least tried to keep quiet so they wouldn’t get kicked out of the theater.

The next few days were filled with kissing, cuddling-- anything to distract themselves from the inevitable. Dates in the park ended with faces pressed into each other, lips caressing sweetly. Outings to meander and walk about aimlessly landed them in an alley, melting into each other like it was their last kiss. Soon after, though, it  _ was _ their last kiss. For awhile, at least.

The weather seemed to catch up with the end of the summer and, accordingly, the air was slightly chilled, just enough to make an excuse of staying home. As a result, the small café was nigh empty except for the redhead and the blonde seated by the window.

“I’m gonna miss you,” Jasper whispered, softly squeezing David‘s hand, loose arm uselessly laid across the table. David just nodded, sighing, returning the squeeze with deep sorrow.

The two took their time before leaving the café because they knew that when they said goodbye, that would be it for a long while. At Gwen’s doorstep the two held a long kiss for the road, folding into a deep embrace. David didn’t want to let go. He wished he could stay in Anise Bay, and he could just stay with Jasper, and he wished he never had to leave Jasper’s arms.

Really, he just wished the summer would last a little bit longer. Not much, but enough to satisfy the growing loneliness the drive up the mountain pulled within him.

 

Sunlight flitted through the thin curtains, illuminating the person lying in the bed opposite David’s. He was face-down, and the covers had been kicked off of the bed in his sleep. It was Tuesday afternoon-- David had already attended his morning classes and was back at his dorm for lunch, but his roommate seemed to have hardly moved an inch since the night before.

“Rise and shine, Cole!” David prompted, met by loud groaning.

“I’m  _ awake _ ,” countered the clearly-still-half-asleep man. David grabbed a package of  _ Instant Cup O’ Noodles _ from the cabinet and added water, sliding it into the microwave and entering in ‘2:30’, standing to the side to let the machine do its job. Cole strugglingly pushed himself up, staring at David tiredly. “How are you so cheerful this early? I don’t understand morning people.”

David chuckled slightly. “Rough night?”

“Kind of,” his roommate admitted, standing up and slipping a tee-shirt over last night’s jeans. “Really, you’re always cheery at the worst of times. What kinda drugs are you on?”

“Methylphenidate and sertraline.”

“How can I snag some of that for m’self?”

“Talk to a psychiatrist,” David nodded, opening the microwave door to check on his lunch.

“Mmm…” Cole hummed, “boring…” checking his phone. “Bloody hell, it’s already one-thirty.”

“Don’t you have a class at two?” David asked as he put his noodles in for just a bit longer. 

“A class I’m not going to make it to, yeah,” Cole sighed, rummaging through the messy piles of classroom supplies and textbooks littering his side of the dorm. The microwave beeped, announcing that the noodles were ready, and David took it out as Cole headed out the door, grabbing a jean jacket and waving at him. “See ya, mate.”

“Have fun.” The door closed with a soft click. David walked over, pushed the curtains away with one hand, and gazed out the dorm window at a couple having a picnic in the grass. The girl laughed at something the guy had said, responding with shy body language before he swooped in and kissed her. David sighed emptily as he picked up his phone to dial Jasper. It rang once… twice… three times… then four...

“ _ You fool! Little do you know, calling me executed the final step in my evil plot! Jasper is dead, and now there’s nobody to stop me from taking over the world!! _ ” Dramatized evil laughter filled David’s ears, he smiled. “ _...Kidding, it’s just Jasper’s Voicemail. I’m probably out saving lives, or… something… leave a message and I’ll get back to you back A-S-A-P! _ ”

Beeep! “Hey, Jas,” David began with a soft laugh, eyes surveying the scenery outside as he spoke. “I know it’s probably dumb and sappy-romantic of me, but...” He laughed again. “...I just wanted to let you know that I miss you, and I’m thinking about you. Call back soon. I miss your voice...” Click.

The next time David checked his phone, he had a new voicemail.

Beeep! “ _ Hey, David! Just returning your call. I lost my phone earlier, which sucks, and it took Anna-Lee coming over and calling it for me to finally find it, haha. Jeez, you’re probably at class right now. I guess we just aren’t on the same wavelength, huh? … Well, anyways, I’m missing you lots. Hope your classes are going well. Did you ever get that thing sorted out with your roommate? He seems nice enough, from what you’ve told me. Uh… do you want to meet up on Saturday? _ ” Then, further away from the phone and spoken much quieter were mumbles that no matter how many times David replayed the message, he couldn’t seem to decypher. “ _ Uh… Call me! I love you. … okay, okay, I’m hanging up. Bye. _ ” Click.

He called again. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. “ _ You fool! Little do you know, calling me executed the final step in my evil plot! Jasper is dead, and now there’s nobody to stop me from taking over the world!! _ ” Cue the evil laughter. “ _...Kidding, it’s just Jasper’s Voicemail. I’m probably out saving lives, or… something… leave a message and I’ll get back to you back A-S-A-P! _ ”

Beeep! “Jasper! Hi,” he laughed a little. “Guess we’re stuck playing a game of phone-tag today. Uh… don’t hate me, but I actually can’t meet up this weekend, we’re only about two weeks into the semester and I’m already being assigned some pretty hefty stuff, I don’t… I don’t think I’d be able to really enjoy my time with you with the anxiety of my classes over my head. Not now, at least. I just want to be able to give you my full attention… when we meet up. Haha… School’s a lot tougher than it was last year… Uhm… Hope you’re doing well. … I  _ did _ end up compromising with my roommate, I’ll text you about it later, if I remember, uh… I’ve gotta go, I have class. I love you.” Click.

When their schedules happened to sync up, it wasn’t for long. They’d video chat during most of their free time and whisper words of love and longing to each other. On school holidays and the occasional weekend, Jasper would make it a point to drive up to Sleepy Peak and surprise David with a sweet kiss. After the first few times, they stopped being surprises, and David had learned to recognize that slight tone of secrecy and gentle inflection of excitement when Jasper was planning to visit. They were always welcome, and never enough-- David would feel guilty about how needy he was being with Jasper’s affection, so he’d hold back ever so slightly, and feel lonely when Jasper headed back home. Instead, he’d just go back to sweet text messages of  _ ‘I miss you already’ _ and  _ ‘I love you’ _ to feel closer to Jasper when he was far away.

 

The ocean was as close to beautiful as it had ever been, only a fraction of happiness away from a fulfilling grace. The setting sun framed Jasper’s saltwater skin and damp hair as a smaller wave crashed among his shins, and he giggled, leaning down to pick up a shell.

“The thing you’ve been chasing, David?” Jasper turned over his shoulder and smiled gently. He waved for David to come closer, holding the found object in his other hand. David moved closer and took Jasper’s hand in his own. “You’ll never find it like that.”

“What do you mean?” David asked gently. Jasper dropped the shell and took up both of the redhead’s hands, stepping backwards as the ocean swallowed them whole.

At first, he closed his eyes out of fear, but when his eyes opened to the scenery he found that Jasper was laughing and swimming, hands locked with David’s as they spun around. The water contoured around them in a symphonic way only love could. Bubbles floated up from their clothes as Jasper pulled David in, bodies brushing endearingly close as his arms folded into an embrace. Before he knew it, the two were slow dancing to the unchanging melody of the ocean, hand-in-hand and cheek-to-cheek.

He closed his eyes and Jasper pulled back, drifting David along with him as they swam lower and deeper. David opened his eyes again and took a deep breath in, exhaling out as they reached the ocean floor. He put his hands on Jasper’s lower back, and Jasper leaned in closer, hands on either side of David’s face. The two began to drift upwards as their noses brushed, lips parted ever so slightly until David closed the gap with a watery kiss.

They floated along the current in a slow-motion tumble, eyes closed and bodies closer than ever. Their lips did not part for even a second as the song of the moment embedded itself in David’s memories.

He awoke with tears in his eyes and the tune of the sea echoing through his mind, holding his pillow close as a makeshift love. Before he knew it, his hands clasped around his phone, but the number he dialed wasn’t Jasper’s.

“ _ David? What the hell are you calling me for, it’s like two in the morning. _ ” She paused before grumbling, “ _ Well? You woke me up, what do you want? _ ”

“I can’t do this anymore, Gwen,” David cried out softly, tears blockading his throat and siphoning his voice.

Her tone softened, and she spoke much quieter: “ _ Oh, David… _ ”

“I can’t do this. I miss him. I miss him lots.”

She took a moment to reply, presumably waking her sleepy mind up. “ _ Stay strong, okay? You can do this. Winter break’s here in the next couple weeks, right? _ ” Without allowing enough proper time to respond, Gwen continued. “ _ You know what you can do then? You can spend every moment of your time physically possible with that boy then. _ ”

“I don’t know if I can last that long..” David felt tears roll from his eyes again. “Gwen, I miss him so much… Talking on the phone just reminds me how far away he is, and— and I just want to be with him, I feel so helpless.”

“ _ You only have to hold out for a few weeks, alright? _ ” David nodded, aware that Gwen couldn’t see him. “ _ It’s not the end of the world, I promise you. If you really do love him, he’s worth the wait. _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe how fast I wrote this you guys it’s whack,,, needless to say, I’m inspired! I don’t want to get your hopes up, but I’m probably going to publish another chapter sooner than later (while I’m on this writing kick at least)
> 
> Comments? Thoughts? I always love to hear ‘em!


	7. I’ll Be Home For Christmas (Reupload)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the first THREE times i published this it flopped and either glitched out my phone or published only the first two paragraphs, so,,
> 
> fourth times the charm am i right
> 
> Edit: I’m right! enjoy the chapter!

David had immediately gotten to work, making plans to drive to Anise Bay and stay with Jasper over winter break. With Gwen’s support and enthusiasm, David became even more excited at the whole idea. It all seemed to be working out, lining up in a picture-esque portrait of seeing a long-distance lover for an uninterrupted reunion of passion and kisses. ‘ _I’ll be home for Christmas_ ’, David would text Jasper, and the two would smile the kind of smiles that deserved to be together.

Once the plans had been set in stone, the days either flew by like paper in a love-tornado or became as agonizingly slow as the silent ticking of a minute. In any freetime of his, he would be found smiling at his phone in the library or whispering into it on the rooftop when most of the lights had already gone out for the evening. His daydreams increased in frequency, and his sleepdreams increased in intimacy, filling up most of his headspace with hugs and happy tears and visions of cuddling by the fire.

Finals week passed at an agonizingly slow pace, and once he’d finished his second-to last test, he brought his phone out excitedly with such a quickness and intensity that the people around him marvelled at the sight.

 

Youre driving down tomorrow!!!

Aaaa I’m excited!!

I cant wait to kiss your face :*

Stop it omg I’m blushing

Im gonna kiss you all over  
And im not gonna stop until someone calls the cops  
Even when they catch up to us, ill still kiss you until theres no tomorrow  
Until our president starts a nuclear war or until time itself stops existing  
And even then ill kiss you in the afterlife  
Or whatever else exists  
Ill kiss u through the fire and flames  
And my smooch will wake my sleeping beauty (you) from any trecherous curse 

Jasper stop it!! People are looking at me!!!

*Treacherous  
Why  
Can they read these messages

No but I can’t help giggling at you you’re too cute and sweet and hhhh!!!  
I feel like a middle school girl 

Be my roblox gf

Lmfaoooo  
Ok I have the final exam now 

The final final

Yes the final final, lolol  
I love you and I can’t wait to see you!! 

I love you too!!  
So stoked to see you!!

 

The season’s first snow happened at the very beginning of winter break. Why it waited that long and why it snowed so hard when it did was anybody’s guess. The roads to and from Sleepy Peak were completely blocked off for all vehicles travelling up and down the mountain due to icy roads and dangerous driving conditions, and internet connection was unreliable from the heavy weather distorting the already difficult-to-read signals (thanks, mountain.)

And David was convinced the world was against him.

“Oh, quit bein’ so upset already, it’s winter break,” Cole frowned, rubbing David’s back gingerly. He did his best to console the broken-down hopeless romantic who had begun crying the moment he knew he couldn’t leave town. He’ll admit, he didn’t entirely know why his roommate was crying so much, so he just did his best to comfort him. “No classes, no assignments, no worries. You get to sleep in, and stay out late! How fun is that? … Cheer up, chum, where’s that smile I know?” Then, in a more gentle voice, “...Is it about a girl?”

“...No,” David managed, wiping his face on his sweater sleeves. He spoke, words seeming to barely fit through the lump in his throat. “It’s my… boyfriend, he lives down the mountain, and… and I was looking forward to… seeing him… during break...”

“What a way to come out,” mumbled Cole without the slightest bit of shock or surprise in his monotonous voice. He sighed, hugging David closer until he couldn’t cry anymore.

Much of the day had passed on before David had given up checking to see if his cell phone signal began working, and he’d instead taken to staring out the window in a melancholic haze that felt as if his head was filled with cotton.

Normally, snow would’ve excited him; it was his favorite kind of weather. Aside from the snow chains and tentative driving, he loved it when he’d wake up and outside would be a blanket of crips, fresh, unbroken snow. It was fun, it was exciting, and it was just plain adventurous. But now, all it brought was a disheartening feeling of misery and hopelessness.

Outside, a hawk landed on the branches of the pine tree, ruffling his feathers to shake off the snow accumulating on his wings. The needles above offered shelter as he caught his breath, leaping back into flight mere moments later, and disappearing into the snowy sky. David’s breath began to fog up the glass, and he leaned back, wiping it away with his sleeve.

“David, you alright?” Cole asked. David didn’t respond. “You can’t spend all of winter break pouting.”

“I know…” David murmured hopelessly.

“You just need a distraction.” Silence. “There’s a party in the Beta Kappa Sigma frat house tonight, everyone’s gonna be there.”

“I’m not really a ‘party’ kind of person,” David leaned his forehead against the glass, letting his exhale create a fog on the iced window pane.

“Come on, it’ll help lift your spirits,” Cole reasoned, walking over and setting a hand on David’s shoulder. “Party person or not, it’ll get you in a dancing mood and poof, all your problems will be miles away. What do you say?”

“I don’t know… I don’t think I know anybody from Beta Kappa Sigma,” David excused. Why did Cole want him to go so badly? “Plus, I don’t drink, and that usually puts a damper on the mood. I don’t want to kill the party.”

“Just come along, anyway,” Cole encouraged, sitting next to David with a smile. “Cheer up, mate, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Standing alone-- back to the wall and consciousness elsewhere-- with a can of cherry coke in his hand as the party happens around him. That’s the worst that could happen, and, of course it did.

His thoughts seemed to drift to Jasper no matter how hard he tried to think about something else. Hip-hop, rap, and modern pop music blared from large speakers as the loud chatter of the guests tried desperately to be heard, but it all just seemed like repetitive white noise to him. A rap song would come on, and the guys would dance aggressively, rotating into a circle while select few danced off against each other. A saucy song with a female artist would come on and all the girls would scream, grabbing the nearest guy and rubbing up against him until he eventually consented and gave way to the chaos.

David was thankful nobody pulled him into that mess-- maybe it was just his saddened expression keeping people away, or his unwillingness to take initiative and talk to someone-- but either way, the more people ignored him, the more evidence he had to prove to Cole he wasn’t a party person.

“Why the long face?” A girl with pixie-cut blonde hair asked, slipping up next to David with her back to the wall. It took him a moment to notice her, and another moment to realize that she was talking to him.

“I don't know…” David lied, “I guess I just don’t really know anyone here, my roommate brought me with him and it kinda sucks,” an awkward laugh, “I don’t really do parties, either...”

She giggled a little, giving David a gentle push on the shoulder. Was she flirting? “Well, you at least know me.”

He blinked. “I do?”

“Yeah, I’m Jasmine!”

Another awkward laugh, paired with a polite smile. “I’m sorry, I don’t… think we’ve met.”

“We have now,” Jasmine laughed, ocean-blue eyes twinkling. “My friends call me Jas. What’s your name?”

“David, it’s nice to meet you,” he said rather formally.

“So, Dave-- can I call you Dave?”

“I’d prefer David.”

“Well then, David, can I get you a beer or something to help you relax?”

“Oh. No, that’s alright. I don’t drink,” he laughed awkwardly, can of soda gripped tighter in his hand. “Thank you, though.”

“Aw, buzzkill! Come on and enjoy yourself!” She laughed. “What’s a party without a little alcohol?”

“No, really, I--” Before he knew it, Jasmine had grabbed his hand and was dragging him towards the kitchen and filling a solo cup with beer from the keg. She shoved it into David’s hands.

“N- Jasmine,” he began, handing the drink back to her. “I don’t drink.”

She pushed it back towards him. “Pussy! C’mon! Chug! Chug! Chug!”

Everyone joined in the chant, calling out for David to chug his drink, and before he knew it, he was slamming cupfulls with a cheering audience. His soda, like the motto of ‘I don’t drink’, was long forgotten by the time an hour had passed. He began to black out after another hour, and the last thing he remembered was the joyful screaming of a crowd of drunk frat boys.

And when he awoke, he wasn’t in his dorm.

When he awoke, he was in a stranger’s bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> would you do it for a scooby snack


	8. Blackout Drunk

_ This isn’t my room. This isn’t my bed. This isn't my room. This isn’t my bed. This isn’t my room. This isn’t my bed. _ After several minutes of coaxing him into reality, David realized where he was, and his mind already began to connect the dots.

“Oh my gosh,” David mumbled to himself, sitting up slowly, eyes darting around the unfamiliar space with wild abandon.  _ Where am I? The last thing I remember is drinking at the party… what happened after that? _

His observation of his surroundings was all he had to go off of for the time being. Strewn around the room were various flowy clothes and christmas lights, a lava lamp and a bean-bag chair. On the dresser were papers, dried flowers, and a lamp shaped like an owl. It seemed like a room in a sorority, did he…

Oh. Everything seemed clear to him. Too clear.  _ Way _ too clear. Last night, in his lonely, drunken state, he must’ve done something he didn’t want to do. He threw the sheets back and swung his legs off the side of the bed, feet curling atop the cold floor. The odd part was that he was still wearing his pants, but he didn’t have time to question it, he had already made up his mind of what happened. There couldn’t be any other explanation.

His phone lie dormant on the nightstand with just 16% battery left, and he picked it up with a sigh. Despite the heavy snow, some messages seemed to have squeezed their way through.

Three new messages from Cole, and fourteen from Jasper.

He opened them, reading carefully.

 

FROM: Cole

Oh hell, where did you go?!  
You didn’t leave the party, did you?!  
Christ’s sake david. If you won’t answer me, just come back to the dorm whenever you’re done with whatever it is you’re doing. I’ll get my answers then.

 

FROM: Jasper <3

Hey! I read that roads from sleepy peak were closed off cuz of the snow  
That prolly means you cant come down huh  
Are you ok?  
Hello?  
???  
Ok maybe im being clingy but its been a couple hours and im starting to worry abt u  
Im totally being clingy im sorry  
Its probably the weather taking 5ever to send msgs but hhhh  
Hey my weather app says the snow might start to clear up in a few days  
Or at least be less intense  
Maybe theyll open the roads up again  
Oof im sending too many messages im gonna stop  
Msg back when u get this :(  
I miss you <3

 

He held his breath as he read them. His thumbs positioned themselves over the keyboard to type something,  _ anything _ to Jasper, but he found his hands and mind frozen in place.

He began scrolling through his texts. It looked like he didn’t message anyone last night, and a quick check confirmed that he also hadn’t made any calls. He didn’t seem to have any new photos, ei-- oh. Except for two videos.

The first video had a thumbnail of someone’s finger in front of the camera lense. He pressed play, and was immediately met by loud music bumping at what could very well be unsafe volumes. Several people were cheering, hollering, and whooping at something blocked by someone standing in front of the camera. The person moved, and there was David, in the middle of the near-empty dance floor, pulling dance moves he didn’t even know he could pull. The video ended after a few seconds, and David stared in shock. His mind felt hazier than ever, the only thing he seemed to have uncovered so far was more questions. He hesitantly swiped to the second video, holding his breath.

This time, the thumbnail was of David, a brunette man, and a line of red solo cups between the two. Both had an arm behind their back and looked as though they were already past wasted, stoked about something off-camera. He pressed play, and watched almost hypnotically as the crowd counted down from three. When they cheered ‘one’, on-screen David and the man with him raced to slam as many drinks as they could, tipping the empty cups upside-down before they grabbed the next drink. Both were having quite a bit of trouble flipping the cups over. It would’ve been funny if it didn’t give David a nauseous feeling in his gut. After less than a minute, David was the winner, having drank one more cup than his opponent, and the video ended with his arms over his head in victory while the audience screamed with laughter and applause.

David winced, closing his camera roll and resolving to ask Cole what happened before he remembered where he was. Instead of asking for an explanation, he pocketed his phone and surveyed the room again, observing all the same details from before. At least he seemed to be the only one here, it might make it easier for him to--

“Oh, g’morning, David,” A girl said, dressed in starry pajamas and brushing her pixie-cut blonde hair. She came walking through the door in a leisurely stroll, humming slightly as though she was pleased with herself. “I honestly thought you’d be asleep for longer. I mean, you drank  _ a lot _ last night.”

David murmured a half-hearted “‘morning” in reply, tilting his head down to look at his hands. He still found himself denying it, despite the reality of the situation finally sinking in as he’d made eye contact with that girl. He couldn’t have, he  _ wouldn’t _ have, he wouldn’t have done that to Jasper. Right? He loved Jasper.  _ Loves _ Jasper, current. The guilt of it all flushed over his expression before he had any say in the matter.

“You must have a killer hangover, poor thing. Do you need ibuprofen or something?” When she had proper time to notice David, his head was in his hands, and she frowned gently, tossing the brush onto a chair and sitting at the side of the bed. She rested her hand on David’s shoulder comfortingly, speaking like they were old friends. “You okay?”

“I- no! I’m seeing someone!” David blurted, standing up in panic, looking over at the girl (whose name, he remembered, was Jasmine). “I’m  _ so,  _ so sorry, I’m just-- I’m seeing someone, and--”

She just laughed, cutting David off. He stared at her blankly, mind racing his heart in a competition to see who could work faster. Why was she laughing? “Well, duh, you told me that much. Why are you sorry?”

David’s blank expression was quickly colored with shock. “I told… be-- because, it’s-- I’m--”

A look of realization graced Jasmine’s features, and she smiled gently. She joined David standing, only just a bit shorter than him, putting her hands on her hips with a certain, undeniable edge. “You’re a blackout drunk, huh?”

“A little,” he said self-consciously, crossing his arms over his bare chest. “Why?”

“‘Cause, we didn’t do anything, goofus,” Jasmine assured him, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe taking her at face-value was a bit too risky, but it’s all he had, so he chose to believe her.

She punched his arm lightly, teasingly, laughing. “Once you’d drank past the point of partyin’ and to the point of emotions, you collapsed in my arms crying about your boyfriend. ‘Course, that’s enough to sober me up. I asked you where your dorm was so I could take you back before you did somethin’ you’d regret, but you wouldn’t tell me... Or, well, maybe you  _ did _ tell me, but I couldn’t understand you ‘cause you were crying so hard, poor thing-- so I just brought you back to my sorority house.”

“You did…” David murmured, processing this information. Now that she’d said it, he began to recall a few things from the night before. A gentle shoulder, a warm embrace, a cool sky, and a rough cough.

“...For the record,” Jasmine said, breaking the silence, “I think you’re a really strong guy. Emotionally, I mean. I could  _ never _ do long distance, I give you mad props for that.”

“...Thank you,” David sighed softly.

“So I don’t know if you have plans later today,” Jasmine commented as she went off to mess with things on her dresser, “or if you’re gonna make the drive down or whatever, but it’s snowing pretty hard, so if you don’t wanna head out just yet you’re welcome to hang out with Devyn and I for however long. It’s just her and I here, since everyone else’s out for the season. They got a head start the moment finals ended and managed to outrun the snowfall. Dev and I were gonna leave yesterday, but, well, you know.”

As if on cue, a girl with half-black, half-bleached cropped hair trudged into the room wrapped in a blanket, mug of steaming water in hand. David assumed this was Devyn. “Jas, where the fuck did you put the tea bags?”

“In the cabinet above the stove, where they usually are,” Jasmine replied, turning her head over her shoulder. “Why? Are they not there?”

“No, they’re not.”

“I haven’t touched them.”

“Well,  _ someone _ did, and you’re the only other person here. Plus, you have motive since I usually steal your favorite flavors, and I for one think that’s enough reason to frame you as hella sus.”

Jasmine exhaled dramatically, turning to David again. “Your jacket’s hung on the coat rack by the door, and your shirt’s… probably on the floor somewhere. Come say ‘bye’ before you head out?”

“Sure,” David nodded.

Devyn left the room in a huff, and Jasmine followed. “If I look in the cabinet and find it, so help me--”

“Well, you  _ won’t, _ ‘cause it’s not there.” That was the last of the conversation David heard before he began looking for his stuff. His shirt was an easy find, and not too long after putting it on, he found himself composing a message to Jasper.

 

Hey!  
Sorry, I just got your messages, lol   
  


 

It took a little while for the messages to go through, but when they did, he was met with an immediate response.

  
  


!!!  
Hi!!!  
I missed you <3

I missed you too <3  
I’m sorry things didn’t go according to plan

Oh dw!! Its not your fault

Here’s my promise to you:  
As soon as the weather clears up enough to drive down, I’ll be on the road

Ill be waiting <3

  
  


David smiled giddily to himself as he slipped the phone into his pocket once more. As his mind finished waking up, he recalled things from the night before supporting Jasmine’s claim. Salty tears, comforting hands, and motherly hugs drifted through his mind as vague as distant figures in the fog. He shook his head gently as he became aware of the sudden pounding headache against his skull, and he sighed, standing up to walk out of the room.

“Well, if you  _ knew  _ the tea stuff was up here, why did you ask me?” Jasmine asked. When David walked in, he saw her facing Devyn with her hands on her hips, the cabinet above the stove open to reveal boxes of tea.

“You’re taller, and I didn’t feel like climbing up onto the counter,” Devyn pointed up to the cabinet with a smile. “Can you grab a lemon ginger for me?” Jasmine rolled her eyes noticeably, plucking a bag from its box and dropping it into Devyn’s empty mug with a little  _ plop _ . “I lo-o-ove you,” Devyn cooed.

“No you don’t.”

David said goodbye to the two, thanking Jasmine for everything. She just waved, assuring him that he was welcome back anytime he needed someone to talk with. He slipped on his jacket and shoes, heading out to brave the snowy storm.

When he’d gotten back to his dorm, Cole was there waiting for him, arms crossed almost judgmentally. “What did you do last night? And, where  _ were _ you?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” David replied hazily, hanging up his jacket and wiping his shoes on the floor mat.

“You’re not entirely sure?” Cole repeated. David smiled at him. Cole just shook his head. “If that’s your nice way of saying ‘none of your business’, I get the idea.”

“Well, kinda-- I mean, it’s complicated, and…”  _ I can’t handle it, he’s so far away! He’s so far away, and I-I-- gosh darn it, I miss him! _ David’s smile quickly turned forced. “... just complicated.”

“And none of my business.”

“...Yeah,” David admitted, sighing, slipping his feet out of his shoes. “Besides, if it was really that big of a thing that I did, doesn’t word travel around campus quickly?”

“The quickest.”

“Yeah. If you hear about it from gossip, you hear about it from gossip, but… I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Fair enough.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all got punk'd


	9. So Glad We've Almost Made It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once they’d gotten out of the cold, their lips had hardly parted for more than a second. Even a centimeter of distance between the two was unbearable, so they resolved to smother each other with kisses--on the cheek, on the lips, on the neck, on the forehead, and really, everywhere--until they felt comfortable with just cuddling by the heater. Jasper held David tightly, as if even a slight slip would cause David to cascade out of his grip, and David certainly wasn’t complaining as he snuggled up into the hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all don't even KNOW

The gentle  _ rap-rap-rap _ on the door to Jasper’s apartment was welcome, and the passionate kiss that followed was even more welcome. The two fell backwards into the snow as the kisses became so abundant that how their lips locked became much more pressing of a matter than balance.

“I missed you,” Jasper sighed between kisses, smiling like there was no tomorrow. 

David leaned in and kissed him again, breathing out with a little laugh. “I missed you too,” he barely managed, and he couldn’t stop grinning.

Once they’d gotten out of the cold, their lips had hardly parted for more than a second. Even a centimeter of distance between the two was unbearable, so they resolved to smother each other with kisses--on the cheek, on the lips, on the neck, on the forehead, and really,  _ everywhere _ \--until they felt comfortable with just cuddling by the heater. Jasper held David tightly, as if even a slight slip would cause David to cascade out of his grip, and David certainly wasn’t complaining as he snuggled up into the hug. The beautifully mesh embraces and ever-fleeting kisses went uninterrupted by the outside world, and they managed to stay in their own sort of love-bubble… well, except for a darker orange tabby cat who rubbed against the two and climbed over and on top of them as they cuddled.

“Scary, baby, what are you doing?” Jasper asked the cat  jokingly, tone sounding as if he was talking to a child. He stroked the top of his cat’s head, scratching right beneath her ear, but did nothing to push her off of them. “Sorry, I don’t know why she’s being so needy right now.”

David chuckled, stroking the cat’s back gently as she began to purr. “Scary’s a cute name.”

“It’s short for Scary Spice, like Mel B.,” Jasper said with a smile, and David laughed. Jasper laughed as well, face reddening ever so slightly. “What? The Spice Girls are timeless!”

When eight o’clock rolled around, they’d settled on watching movies on the Hallmark channel and cuddling. Their breathing moved in sync, and they dared not move for fear of disturbing the perfect moment. Their arms wrapped around each other, legs tangled, and faces pressed as close as they could allow. David began to fall asleep around midnight, so Jasper led them to his bedroom, where they laid there, and David was out like a light.

Later that night, Jasper felt an unrest in his mind keeping him awake. He wasn’t sure what exactly it was, but something wasn’t quite right… and all he knew for sure was that the David who’d come to visit him during winter break was different than the David he’d saved that one afternoon at the beach. Jasper thought he’d narrowed it down to two umbrella possibilities, though: either there was some sort of change of heart that caused him to view Jasper differently, or there was just something he wasn’t talking about altogether. Whichever one it was--if there  _ was _ anything wrong--Jasper was sure David would confide it in him. He was an honest man, right?

David slept gently, calmly, peacefully next to Jasper, who kept the light of his phone low and angled away from the sleeping beauty next to him. His scrolling through Facebook was only slowed by a video, titled ‘OMG FAIL!! ‘SUCK AND BLOW’ DRINKING GAME GONE WRONG AT BETA KAPPA SIGMA!!!!’ with a thumbnail of… David, laughing, facing a man who had a playing card stuck to his lips. The sinking feeling in Jasper’s gut grew as his thumb hovered over the play button, and he wondered if… if he’d be happy with what he saw.

He reluctantly pressed play, watching all 58 seconds of the video. He shook his head gently, clicking off his phone and setting it on the nightstand.

Jasper looked over his shoulder for a moment and glanced at David’s sleeping form. There was a long period of quiet before he rolled over and kissed David’s face gently, waking him from his sleep. “Jasper? Why are you awake?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” Jasper replied, holding David’s face in his hands as he kissed his nose. David just smiled, arms wrapping around Jasper to pull him in closer. Jasper let go of David’s face in favor of keeping his balance, regarding David with a slight smile.

“Well, while we’re awake… is there anything you haven’t told me?” Jasper asked softly, in more of a hum than speech, leaning down and drifting his eyes shut until they were just crescent moons on his starry, freckled face. The faint light from the open shades cast a soft blue glow across the bed

“I haven’t loved anyone as much as you.”

“Aw,” Jasper smiled, giggling gently. Though greatly appreciated, it wasn’t what he was looking for. “Anything else?”

“No, should there be?” David replied, allowing his eyes to drift shut as well, closing the gap until their lips were a teasing distance between them. It felt almost dreamlike, this state of being between them.

“I think so,” Jasper murmured, brushing his lips against David’s without a kiss. He exhaled, sending shivers up David’s spine. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell me?”

“What?” David asked, now fully-awake mind creeped out by Jasper’s sudden pressing for an answer, moving away so he could make eye contact with him. “I’d tell you if there was anything, honest.”

“What about the night you got snowed in at the university?” Jasper reached one of his hands to caress David’s cheek, thumb ghosting over his cheekbone. His voice was slow and meaningful, but he was looking for something, and it was easier to identify now that David had woken up a little. “Nothing you think I should know about? At all?” The way David hesitated to respond caused Jasper to pull back from him, raising an eyebrow gently. “David?”

David panicked. “She was emotional support, we di--”

“ _ She _ ?” Jasper furrowed his eyebrows, voice sounding a little less relaxing and a little more anxious as he fixed his hair with a hand. Clearly, that wasn’t what Jasper was referring to.  _ Shit. _

“We didn’t do anything, really,” David tried to pull Jasper back into his arms to no avail, and his words weren’t helping his case in the slightest.

“So there was a ‘she’  _ besides _ the guy in the video?” Jasper asked, sitting up and rolling off of David, who followed suit and sat up.

“What do you mean, ‘guy-in-the-video’?” David asked. As he spoke, Jasper reached over and flicked on a lamp, casting a yellowish light to combat the dreamlike blue from the window. That question seemed to strike something within him, that David noticed when he turned back.

“The video that went viral from the party you went to, of you and him--” Jasper closed his eyes, shook his head, and sighed. “You don’t need to-- don’t play dumb, David, I’d rather you just tell me the truth.”

Things began to snap into place. David held both of his hands in front of him, low, palms out in a gesture of submission. “Jasper, whatever you saw recorded from that night, I--I didn’t mean it. None of it was genuine,  I was just drunk and stupidly upset I got snowed in. My messages and calls weren’t going through to you, and I was sad, and I missed you, and I wasn’t in my best mindset; I’m sorry.”

Jasper took it all in, David could tell he wasn’t fully believing it. Jasper held up a hand as if to say  _ ‘wait a second’ _ , taking a deep breath in, then releasing it out as he tried to sort through and make sense of things. He’d start with the easiest of points. “I thought you didn’t drink.”

“That’s a perfect example of  _ why _ I don’t drink; I blackout and my self-control goes out the window,” David explained with worry as Jasper made eye contact. He was  _ not _ happy. “I was really, _ really _ upset that I had to wait to come see you, and I was moping around, and Cole told me a party would cheer me u--”

“Cole? Is that another man you’re cheating on me with?” Jasper interrupted with a laugh. He immediately covered his mouth, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean that.”

“He’s my roommate,” David winced, “And… I kinda deserved that. But… I don’t know what ‘guy-from-the-video’ you’re talking about, it didn’t mean anything, and the girl I mentioned actually saved me from doing anything more stupid than I already had.”

Jasper laughed again. Nervously. Anxiously. “You making out with a guy from your college didn’t mean anything, really? And you--what, did whatever it is with that girl mean nothing, too?  _ Twice _ ? Do you really expect me to believe tha--”

“No,” David admitted, shaking his head. “I don’t. I’ve given you no reason to, but Jasper, listen: you know how emotional of a person I can be, and I wouldn’t--in my right mind, I wouldn’t even  _ think _ about throwing away the commitment you and I have. You mean too much to me.”

Jasper’s gaze fell, down to his hands and his cat-patterned pajama bottoms. He looked sad, or almost even… disappointed. His gaze remained there for a while, but when he looked up again, David could more clearly than ever see the frown in his eyes. “I believe you, David, but it… might take some time before I can fully trust you again. I mean, that video kinda messed me up, dawg.”

It was David’s turn to drop his gaze, nodding. “I’m sorry.”

“We’ll figure this out,” Jasper replied, gently pulling David closer to kiss his forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> huehuehuehohoehuoheoehhehehueheouhfhurisghowrojfsklkjewrgrjk keyboard smashes aside, what's up with me taking so long between chapters! how un-rad of me. wow. drag me in the comments section y'all
> 
> the chapter title's 'cause i had ninja sex party's cover of 'everybody wants to rule the world' on repeat the entire. time. writing this. what the hecc why he a good voice man.
> 
>  
> 
> **s/o to Miss_Write for always being super early on reading/commenting, love you girl!**


	10. Merry Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Merry Christmas,” David said softly, pressing a kiss to Jasper’s forehead.
> 
> “Shit, it’s Christmas?” Jasper laughed gently, opening his eyes, and taking a few moments too long to process David. “Merry Ch… what’s that?”
> 
> “It’s just some… really dumb stuff,” David laughed, averting his gaze and handing the wrapped box to Jasper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here to point out the irony that i started this story during the winter time, and it was set during the summer, but now that it’s summer i’m writing the winter chapters

The twenty-fourth was spent with hot chocolate, curtains drawn back so the two could watch the snowfall. Nothing too intensive, just something to settle the dust.

David’s head rested on Jasper’s shoulder, and Jasper’s head was leaned against David, gaze drifted outwards towards where a few cars drove by. The clanking of partially hooked snow chains on a smaller car passed, and they both watched one particularly brave biker speeding through the cold as the topic of conversation shifted from work to school, from music to traditions, from animals to gardens, and for a reason neither could explain, it always ended back at the ocean.

“Guess it’s kinda symbolic, huh?” Jasper laughed softly. “I don’t know  _ why _ it’s symbolic, it just feels like the right thing to say.”

The evening passed by the two watching Scary Spice endlessly pursue a particularly swift little red light on the floor. Laughter was shared with David lying in Jasper’s lap, giggling as the cat circled around herself.

Neither of them really realized they’d fallen asleep on the couch until the morning. David woke up before Jasper, it was because of Scary moving around and lying herself down, nestling between the two in the most inconvenient position possible. David just smiled, giving the cat a few gentle scratches before picking his phone up to check the time.

He set his phone down and gently peeled himself away from the sleeping beauty sprawled across the couch, sneaking into the bedroom to retrieve a gift-wrapped package from his suitcase. The wrapping paper was a graphic of little christmas trees patterned all over, and tied together with a bow that… wasn’t beautiful, but there was effort.

He returned back to  taking a moment to admire Jasper’s beautiful, picturesque expression before whispering his name.

Jasper stifled a yawn, hand mindlessly drifting to give his cat a gentle pet. He let out a gentle hum, letting David know wordlessly that even though his eyes weren’t open, he was still listening.

“Merry Christmas,” David said softly, pressing a kiss to Jasper’s forehead.

“Shit, it’s Christmas?” Jasper laughed gently, opening his eyes, and taking a few moments too long to process David. “Merry Ch… what’s that?”

“It’s just some… really dumb stuff,” David laughed, averting his gaze and handing the wrapped box to Jasper, who pushed himself up to a seated position. He’d have to be blind not to notice the growing blush on David’s face.

“I got you some dumb stuff too! Hold on a sec,” Jasper said, holding up a finger and rushing into the other room, returning with a long, thin tube covered with snowman-printed wrapping paper, and a small bag with a bow around the handles. He was excited for David to open it, that much was clear. “Open mine first.”

David took the bag, “It’s heavy,” and Jasper set the tube down, watching David eagerly. He pulled the tissue paper from the bag, and his anticipatory smile grew into one of joy as he pulled a glass container from the bag. Turning it around and reading the label, he laughed softly. “A  _ Vanilla and Sea Salt _ candle!”

“Well, last time you were here, you said you liked the candle I had lit… so I got you one,” Jasper smiled.

David took the top off of the candle, breathing in the scent and exhaling with a gentle laugh. “I love it! I’m going to have it lit,  _ all _ the time.”

“And the second thing!” Jasper said, handing the tube--which was significantly lighter than the candle--to David, who weighed it in his hands, intrigued. “This was one of the things I was kinda really excited to give you.

David gently tore the wrapping paper off to reveal what looked like a poster, labeled by a small white rectangle reading, “ _ National Parks of America Scratch-Off _ ?”

“It’s a map of the U.S., with all the national parks specially labeled,” Jasper explained, “I found it in this cute little store down the road, and apparently, you can scratch off the little icons next to the parks to keep track of where you’ve been! I figure, you like nature stuff, and you’d probably really like national parks, unless you don’t, in which case this probably is a dumb gift and I’m sorry.”

David cupped Jasper’s cheek, moving closer, and his lips lingered against Jasper’s for… not long enough. He smiled. “It’s perfect. Now it’s your turn to open my thing.”

“I can’t wait,” Jasper placed the box on his lap, admiring the attempted bow at the top.

“A fair warning: it’s kinda silly,” David laughed.

Jasper gently undid the careful bow at the top of the box, moving the lid and pushing the tissue paper aside. A smile grew on his face as he took the shirt out, and turned it around, pressing it against his chest to make sure it fit. The cracked lettering read out,  _ Look out, Bigfoot! The Orvilles are in Oregon! (Orville Family Camping Retreat, 2004) _ , accompanied by a silhouette of Bigfoot.

“Oh my gosh,” he laughed, “this is the best!”

“I found it at a thrift store in Sleepy Peak, and I thought of you,” David’s smile grew. “Because of that thing you told me once, how your brother and you compete with odd family-that-isn’t-your-family shirts?”

“I can’t believe you remembered,” Jasper laughed again, giving David a kiss.

“And… there’s something else in there, too, that I hid at the bottom because I wanted you to see the shirt first.” Jasper raised his eyebrows in surprise, setting the shirt on his lap and shuffling through the tissue paper. His face quirked into something that told David he wasn’t expecting what he saw.

“ _ Xmas Mixtape for Jasper _ … aw, with a little heart, too,” Jasper read, taking the CD case out of the box and smiling at the hand-drawn picture of the two of them on the cover. It wasn’t done by a skilled hand, but it was endearing. “Can I play it right now?”

“Of course,” David grinned.

“I’m excited,” Jasper stood, making his way over to his CD player and ejecting the disk currently in it. He placed it in its case, and moved to take David’s out, turning towards him with an inquisitive and amused expression. “What kinda stuff’s on it?”

“Just some songs that make me think of you,” David shrugged his shoulders up and let them drop down. He wanted to pretend he was casually excited, but he couldn’t keep the smile off of his face and the giggle out of his voice. “I hope you like it, most of the songs are serious--”

“ _ Most _ of them? What’s that mean?” Jasper asked, lips quirking into a half-smile. David just shrugged again, and crossed his arms awkwardly to show that he wouldn’t reveal any more. Jasper just chuckled, shaking his head softly.  “I guess I’ll see, then.”

As soon as Jasper hit play, his speakers (which had been tuned to a very high volume from the last time he used them) filled with the sound of drums, and— _ “Ocean man, take me by the hand, lead me to the land—“ _

Jasper’s grin spread, and he lost his cool, laughing like a bell. David smiled, giggling along, joy filling every inch of his heart at the beautiful, charming chuckles of his love. “This is why I love you!”

He turned the volume down slightly but left it playing in the background while made his way back to David, planting a soft kiss on his lips. “Now I feel bad, the presents I got you aren’t  _ nearly _ as good as this.”

“That’s not true! They’re really great and thoughtful gifts, and I love them because they were given to me by my wonderful boyfriend,” David replied with a cheesy smile.

“Stop it,” Jasper laughed, smiling shyly and failing to prevent his blushing.

“My wonderful, amazing, fan _ tastic _ boyfriend who I’d gladly take a bullet for,” David cheered, hugging Jasper, who laughed softly and barely attempted to get out of the embrace. “The light of my life, the air in my lungs, the apple of my eye.”

“Stooop, oh my gosh,” Jasper cooed as David nuzzled him. “You’re embarrassing me!”

“Sorry, I forgot about Scary,” Jasper laughed. “But I’m not too worried about her,” David excused, smooching Jasper’s cheek. He caved and pulled David closer, bridging the gap between their lips with an exhale of contentedness.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wanna hear david’s mixtape? lucky for you, i took like three hours to put this together: https://open.spotify.com/user/honestlygarbage/playlist/26QfHgn7SGpeLk5QxLOfiA?si=H8KZ4BmWT4Cnv64REGUVjw  
> (if you have premium, p l e a s e listen to it w/o the shuffle ‘cause the song order’s important considering that’s how you’d listen to it on a cd)


	11. Wrote a Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ”Hey Jas,” David said softly, giving an awkward laugh. “Uh. I’m pretty much booked for the rest of the day, otherwise I’d have called you back later for this, but this was just the window I had.” He paused. “I wrote a song for you, and wanted you to hear it.”

The holidays were over before either of them could bat an eye, what was hours of holding each other and cuddling and kissing only felt like seconds, and it was over.

David stayed with Jasper for as long as he could before he had to return to Sleepy Peak. He left on the last possible day so he’d have as much time with Jasper as he could, and at the last possible time so he’d get to his dormitories just before dark. Driving through the mountains at night was scary.

Leaving the embrace of Jasper’s arms was supposed to be the hard part, but kissing him goodbye--knowing well they wouldn’t see each other for a while--was even harder.

“It’s okay, h- hey,” Jasper pulled David close, rubbing circles into his back as the redhead stayed tight in his grip. “We’ll get to see each other again in a few months, it’s okay.”

“It’s-- it’s hard,” David breathed, struggling to hold onto his tears. “I don’t want to be away from you again.”

“I know,” Jasper kissed the top of David’s head, closing his eyes and exhaling. “But think of it like this: it’s only until spring, and that’s pretty dang close.”

David just nodded. The thought that he’d see Jasper again soon didn’t do anything to soothe his devastation, it only helped to remind him that in between then and a few minutes from now, he would be alone again. David took a deep breath and leaned up to kiss Jasper again.

Jasper sighed, pressing their foreheads together with a half-hearted laugh. His nose was red from the cold. “I’m going to miss you like crazy.”

“I love you,” David whispered softly.

“I love you too,” Jasper planted a gentle kiss on David’s eyelid, and when David opened his eyes, Jasper was wiping tears from his cheeks with a sad laugh. “You better get going before I get too emotional and make you stay with me.”

“That wouldn’t be the worst thing,” David chuckled, pressing his lips against Jasper’s one last time, holding them there with a gentle passion he knew would last. He pulled away as he sighed, hugging Jasper once more. “I’ll see you soon.”

“I love you,” Jasper held David tightly again.

David squeezed Jasper, smiling, wavering as he choked back his own tears. “I love you too.”

David got into his car and smiled, waving to Jasper through the window as he pulled off of the street, starting his GPS to head for… home.

As soon as his car left the street Jasper lived on, the tears came. He pulled the car over and set it in park, leaning his forehead against the steering wheel as his tears overcame him, spilling down his cheeks, staggering his breath and giving his chest a weight that couldn’t be helped. He hiccupped, gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, eyes shut tightly. 

He had to go soon if he’d make it back to the dormitories before dark, but he… couldn’t find the strength to hold himself together. Not now. He needed a moment.

 

“David, you’ve been in a funk since you got back,” Cole noted as David caught himself staring out the window instead of doing work. “It’s fine to miss ‘im,” Cole continued, walking towards where the redhead sat and standing next to him. “You just can’t let it get you down.”

David leaned forward, bonking his head against the table with a soft sigh. “I can’t help feeling sad and missing him.”

“You’ll see him again,” Cole said. David stayed where he was. “It’s not the end of the world, for christ’s sake. Why don’t you go for a swim, that always helps cheer you up.”

And David was at the swimming pool. It was eerily empty for a Saturday--it was Saturday, right?--but he wasn’t complaining.

He climbed up the ladder to the diving board, standing at the edge once he got there and looking down at the pool’s calm surface. He bent his knees and prepped his hands in front of him, leaping from the board with grace, but as he glided through the air towards the pool, it began to stir, unrest coursing through the waves as it became fitful and indecisive.

David plunged into the water and despite his best efforts, he sank down. He could taste the salt water as his back brushed against the sand and the rocks at the bottom. The waves rolled over him, uncaring, performing their job without the slightest bit of concern for him.

Somebody was yelling for him. He opened his eyes, staring towards the silhouette floating above the surface, hand outstretched as he made out a muffled cry of his name. He didn’t know how he knew, but it was Jasper calling out to him.

He reached up, desperately trying to propel himself towards his savior as his lungs gave out. He began to breathe in the water, stinging his lungs, and

David woke up. Breathless, coughing, and shaking, but  _ alive _ . He gripped the sheets in his hands, head drooping as he took deep breaths to calm himself.

“It’s a dream,” he assured himself. “It’s a dream.”

 

Classes went by without much consideration, taking as much time as it needed so David would feel frustrated with the length of the class. When he got out, his phone was the first thing in his hand, and a smile the first thing on his lips.

David had some time to kill until his study group, and he got the certain feeling that now was the right time to call Jasper.

 

David sat at the edge of his bed, plucking each string individually to make sure his guitar was in tune, to make sure it would be perfect. He cleared his throat, glancing at his phone for the time and taking a deep breath before pressing  _ dial _ .

_ Riiing. _

_ Riiing. _

_ Riiing. _

_ Click.  _ “ _ Hey, it’s Jasper! Sorry I can’t pick up right now, but leave your name or number, or both, and I’ll get back to ya ASAP! _ ”  _ Beep. _

“Hey Jas,” David said softly, giving an awkward laugh. “Uh. I’m pretty much booked for the rest of the day, otherwise I’d have called you back later for this, but this was just the window I had.” He paused. “I wrote a song for you, and wanted you to hear it.”

David set his phone down on his bed, setting it to speakerphone and holding his guitar close. “This probably isn’t as romantic as if I’d called you again and waited to play it for you  _ not _ through voicemail, but--” he laughed, “that’s just how the cookie crumbled today.”

He paused again. “And… I wanted to play it before I got too nervous and chickened out. I’ll admit, the fact that it’s voicemail is doing a little to ease my nerves.” Huff. “Okay, I’m done putting it off, “he laughed again, “so here it is.”

David leaned back slightly, taking a deep breath before he plucked the first few chords.

 

“ _ Your lips are sweet like frostin’ _

_ I’d watch for hours, lost in _

_ Your eyes, so beautiful, blue. _

_ I’ll never meet another guy, _

_ Who’d be the apple of my eye, _

_ I mean it when I say, “I love you”. _ ”

 

David’s voice cracked at the end of that and he laughed softly, shaking his head, clearing his throat just in time for the bridge.

 

“ _ I can’t keep my mind off of you, _

_ When summer comes, you’ll know too; _ ”

 

He smiled, strumming so naturally, eyes closed as he lost himself in his vocals.

 

“ _ I’ll love you when you’re feeling down, _

_ I’ll help you smile when you frown, _

_ I’ll kiss you til the world is far behind. _

_ Forgive me if I say, dear, _

_ That I just wanna lay here, _

_ And if the world would leave us, I don’t mind. _ ”

 

As his fingers brushed the last note and he opened his eyes, he smiled, laughing softly. “That was cheesy. Uh… call me back when you can, even though I probably won’t be able to pick up, or--or y’know, just text,” he smacked his face with his palm. “I’m hanging up now. I love you.”

Cole poked his head through the doorway, smiling at David. “Nice.”

“Cole? Wh— How much did you hear?” David asked, feeling his face heat up. “I thought you were at that tournament you talked about last week.”

“It got canceled, so I’ve been hanging out here,” Cole said. He chuckled. “You realize that you’re out of his league, right?”

“If anything, he’s way out of my league…” David trailed off with a small laugh. “I’m just lucky to have met him in the first place.”

“Well, you know I’ll hook you up with someone else if you want to ditch him,” Cole smirked.

David shook his head. “I don’t want someone else, Cole, Jasper and I are committed.”

“Are you sure?” Cole leaned against the doorframe. “I know lots of cute guys and gals who’d give an arm and a leg to be with someone as handsome as yourself. You could even find your soulmate, who  _ doesn’t _ live so far away.”

“No,” David shook his head again. “I love Jasper. Sure, the distance hurts, but it’s worth it when I see him in person,” David sighed. “Why are you even asking? You know that I’d never leave Jasper.”

“It’s a test.”

“A… test?”

“‘Cause you forgot to hang up.” David gasped and Cole laughed, flashing David a bright smile. “Hello, Jasper. I checked for ya, and David’s a keeper.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took so long to get out because i wRotE tHe soNG (and procrastination)


End file.
